The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... The Pretty Great Whites!

On the same evening and I was lucky enough to grab some time with The Get Alongs and 3's A Riot, The Pretty Great Whites also made time for a quick interview. As well as being awesome musicians, this is a band of four of the nicest gentlemen I've had the pleasure of meeting. Bringing me my drink, making space for me and my friend to sit down and politely waiting for me as I faffed around with all my uni notes, these boys have the whole package... and their fans know it! So what did the Kris, Dave, Kane and Liam have to say for themselves?

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First of all, boring question but, who are your biggest influences?


Liam: The Who, The Jam, all that really!
Dave and Kris (in unison): Sham 69
Liam: Yeah, Sham 69
Kane: Paul Weller too, legend.


Ahh Paul Weller, I'm a fan. Looking forward to hearing your stuff then... So they are huge rockers with loads of stories to tell, but I want to know what's been your biggest rock and roll moment so far?


Dave: Rugfest
Liam:        Rugfest
Kane:               Rugfest
Kris:                        Rugfest was a rock and roll moment because... well... I can't remember much of it... We had no shoes on... guitars got broken and it went down quite well!
Liam: Basically we drank beer from a wellie!


Eeeew. That reminds me of particularly treacherous game of Ring of Fire...


Kris: Grim. Yeah, you know really the people who come follow us regularly... they're all off it. That's partially because we hang out with them. We drink with the fans, everyone gets smashed and has a good time.


Awh that's nice you have a close relationship with fans! So, you're not adverse to being drunk on stage at all, what with those two alcoholic drinks in your hands Kris...


Kris: *Shrugs* It gives you the courage. The majority of my life I spend...
Liam: Wasted. On the p**s.
Kane: On the floor.
Kris: Drunk. And that's where the songs come from. When you're drunk you're more likely to take in what's around you and when you do that, you write a song. If they're written under the influence, they should be performed under the influence! It puts your heart in it!


Makes sense! So you guys write all of your lyrics then? Where does the inspiration for the songs come from... apart from the bottle...


Kris: Every song is inspired by something in the world around us. Like, the first song is inspired by a prostitute druggie wino, then the last one is about government propaganda and oppression and stuff. Like, none of our songs are commercialized they're all social commentary.


*Rest of the band gazes in awe at the eloquence of their drunkest member* Wow ok, so you're tackling some pretty heavy issues there, not going to lie.


Kris: Well, David Cameron is a f**king w***er, he just sits there behind his desk.


Do I sense a labour voter then? Lib Dem perhaps?


Kris: I don't follow any of them. To be fair, Lib Dem told me they'd legalize marijuana. 


Yeah, and they told me that they'd make uni free. They lied.


Kris: They chat sh*t don't they? They just want a bit of that *rubbing fingers together to signify money* don't they? We're the ones that work and pack cheese for a living so they should just f**k off. 
Liam: Pack cheese?
*Band laughs*
Dave: But yeah, in answer to your question, we write our own lyrics.


*Can't help but laugh* Ok, do you know the other bands that are performing at HippyHaze? Who would you like to perform with if you could?


Liam: Emilio Pinci straight up. 
Kris: We've known him for like, seven years and he's an amazing writer and guitarist


Yeah well I haven't had much experience of meeting him yet but I hear great things so I'm looking forward to it. I'm probably going to need to interview him soon...


Kris: Well you know what, at any point when you're there and he's there, just come and find me and I'll introduce you. Are you going to be at HippyHaze? *Everyone looks baffled at his question*


Yeah... my dad is the organizer, remember? 


Kris: Oh yeah, yeah yeah. Anyway, I'll introduce you. He's a top guy!


Fab! Ok, so who has a girlfriend and who hasn't? 


Kris: Liam is a dedicated boyfriend!
Liam: If it counts, we met at our first gig...


Awhh that's sweet!


Kane: Basically she's a groupie. 


*Laughing* Leads me to my next question. Would you s**g a groupie?


Dave: Oh yes.
Kris: Hell yeah.
Kane: Without a doubt.


That's what we like to hear! One more question... what's your favorite milkshake from The Hippy Hippy Shake?


Kris: Have you done a Pretty Great Whites one yet? That one.


No we haven't yet, but we will, I promise.


Liam: The Kinder Bueno one.
Dave: White Maltesers.
Random stranger: Blackcurrent Cheesecake.
Kris: To be honest, I've only tried a bit of the 3's A Riot one. It was dead good. It tasted pukka!


Well it's been really nice to meet you guys, I'm so glad I've had an opportunity to interview you all. Thanks for your time.


The Pretty Great Whites: Thanks.

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Labeling themselves an 'indie/post punk' band, The Pretty Great Whites seem to have a very large following of Stoke-based fans and I'm now one of them! Songs to listen out for are Fake Romance and Pretty Little Scumbag... check out their MySpace page and see if you can resist bouncing around your bedroom to these two tunes. I challenge you. Can't wait to see them perform at HippyHaze this Easter, not sure about you guys, but I'll be directly in front of the stage screaming like I love them. Join me? Like you'd be able to resist, The Pretty Great Whites really know how to rock a venue, and we're chuffed to have them on-board :)

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. PLUS IF YOU BUY A 3 NIGHT TICKET, GET ANY REGULAR SHAKE FOR FREE!

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Shaneth Davis from The Get Alongs

For our first band interview, we wanted to choose a band which we felt really epitomized what this festival is all about, and featured the sorts of people who we can't wait to work with. This is why we jumped at the opportunity to head to The Underground in Hanley on the 20th January to get up close and personal with the exceptionally professional and sickeningly cool Shaneth Davis from The Get Alongs. It was all very rock and roll being invited backstage to conduct our short interview before Shaneth was whisked off for another interview with Radio Stoke. So, what did we ask the man with so little time yet so much to say...

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Shane it's nice to meet you! *Conservatively shake hands before being invited backstage* I'm sure you're pretty busy tonight so I'll get straight to it with a question I'm sure you get asked all the time, but we really want to know... who are The Get Alongs' biggest influences? 

Ahhh it's dead hard because it varies from band member to band member and there's so many...

List them.

Number Girl, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Sparta Locals, The Housemartins, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, The Libertines, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Morrissey, The Mars Volta, At The Drive in, Sex Pistols, Flogging Molly, The Cribs, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ned's Atomic Dustbin... more?

Wow, no that's fine! So you're obviously into quite a diverse range of music which I guess is great when trying to throw some tunes together...

Yeah it's great to have all our different tastes. That's why our audience is a bit of a mix of people. Because we don't stick to one style, the crowd doesn't either so we have everything from mods to skaters. We like it that way. 

What's been your best rock and roll moment as a band to date? And you can't choose a sexual conquest.

I'm not like that! Loads of people think I am but I hate all that. 

That's what we like to hear, he's a good boy!

Well, the way I look at it is, I don't go to a restaurant to try out the toilet, I go there to eat the food. I'm in it for the music.

I love that phrase although I don't quite understand it... As for your rock and roll moment?

Selling out The Sugarmill before Christmas and having it packed full of people singing my songs is the best feeling ever. Smashing up my guitar, getting shut down by riot police when a crowd got a bit mental, supporting great bands... Music means more to me than life. I should be in hospital right now, but I've taken my medication and come here just because I'd rather be playing than getting better.

WOW that's pretty rock and roll! Don't die on me... Going back to the topic of girls... The Get Alongs write all their own lyrics right? So what inspires the words? Girls? 

Yeah sometimes! All of our songs are really personal. There's loads of hidden stuff! We have one song about them annoying girls who are orange. I always say before performing it, 'This is for all those orange f**king s**gs out there!' And there's loads of hidden stuff in that track. They are really personal... I write a lot of poetry and so a lot of the lyrics come from that, obviously the rest of the band add in their bits and we all share ideas.

Right! Next question... What would be your dream collaboration if you had to choose another act that will be playing at Hippy Haze?

Ahh that's a good one. We're good friends with Clockwork Owls although we'll probably do something with them anyway. We're pretty close to Sworn To Oath. Who else... Dirty Money No 5 are really good. The Pretty Great Whites, 3's A Riot we tour with these all the time. Heritage, Faux Feet. Anybody really... Joey T's on about doing a remix of one of our songs too...

That would be really good! I hear fab things about him. Finally, just out of interest, what's your fave Hippy Hippy Shake milkshake?

Oh, I had a 3's A Riot this week and that was really good, although I reckon when you put out a flavour named after The Get Alongs that will be the best!

Cheeky! I'll have to put in a good word for you :) Well thanks Shaneth, you've been great, I'll let you get on with all your other Rock Star Duties.

Thanks, better go find Radio Stoke for my next interview!

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And just like that he was gone! Simon, Gavin, Jack and the lovely Shane (aka. The Get Alongs) appear to be constantly selling out venues to the extent where The Undergound reached capacity by 8pm on the night this interview took place, and it's easy to see why. This Stoke-based, band mixes alternative, indie and 'post punk' into one huge mess of oral pleasure. And who doesn't want that ;) If you're into stage presence, hilarious lyrics with dual meanings and fancy a good time, The Get Alongs are definitely one to watch at HippyHaze this Easter.

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET.

Love and milkshakes

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company